Coronavirus: Black Magic Goes Viral? Part 2: A Vincent Price Double Feature

By: H.B. Gardner

The Last Man on Earth

Current events have confirmed that we are indeed living the plot lines of two films starring Vincent Price.  If self-quarantine and social distancing has you losing your mind like the protagonist in an Edgar Allan Poe story, then you could do far worse than to delight in a diabolical double feature starring Uncle Vinnie.

Both films, The Masque of the Red Death and The Last Man on Earth are from 1964. But these films stand today, each to a certain degree, as prophetical and horrifically relevant to the present coronavirus / COVID-19 (or, can we now say -20?) global pandemic. Let’s take a quick, spoiler-free glimpse at these two films before looking deeper into our current plague.

The Last Man on Earth

Vincent Price as Dr. Robert Morgan in The Last Man on Earth

The Last Man on Earth is a 1964 black-and-white post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.  I Am Legend was remade in 1971 as The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston, and in 2007 with Will Smith. Matheson later said the Vincent Price film was the most faithful adaptation of his book, but he also called the result “inept” and used a pen name for his screenplay.

Humanity is all but wiped out in a global pandemic, a bacterial plague, in which the dead, if not cremated, return as the vampiric undead. The infected are dying too fast and in such great numbers that they must be disposed of via burning pits in mass cremations. All alone, Dr. Robert Morgan (Price) spends his time hunting down the vampires during the day to pound wooden stakes through their hearts, and defending himself from within his home at night when they arise to attack him. Garlic and mirrors ward them off for a time.

In what appears to be an eerie coincidence to our current Coronavirus pandemic, Morgan hypothesizes that he is immune to the bacteria because he was bitten by an infected vampire bat when he was stationed in Panama, which introduced a diluted form of the plague into his blood. In an article shared below we will see the Wuhan coronavirus connection to the bat. Price’s character eventually meets another person and the potential for a cure using Dr. Morgan’s blood – which has built up antibodies to the virus – is attempted, just as is being considered now for the coronavirus. The Last Man on Earth is available to watch for free on Youtube, so what are you waiting for?

“…these films stand today, each to a certain degree, as prophetical and horrifically relevant to the present COVID-19 global pandemic.”

No one is left untouched by The Masque of The Red Death!

The Masque of The Red Death

Vincent Price is indelibly linked with the macabre tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and this is one of our personal favorites. Price is elegantly evil (as usual) as Prince Prospero – a late medieval period character who is part Gilles de Rais and part Marquis de Sade. As a plague known as The Red Death ravages the land, Prince Prospero invites his privileged, decadent, aristocratic guests to a grand party where he promises protection from the disease without – and much debauchery within – his castle’s walls. But the prince is a serious Satanist longing to go beyond the limits of even his own depravity! He brings a young village girl – along with her father and a young suitor – to his palace as amusement for his guests. Even the prince’s wife gets serious about dabbling in the Dark Arts of Diabolism and Demonolatry.

Hazel Court brands her breast with the first inverted cross in satanic cinema history! The Masque of The Red Death.

What strikes us here in connection with the Coronavirus is the sheer susceptibility of everyone – no matter how powerful or privileged – to the whims of bacterium! Leaders of nations, royalty, the wealthy, clergy, the religious, people of all nations and races, even healthcare professionals are all in the grip of pestilence when it arises because it has far-reaching effects upon every level of society. We won’t spoil the ending – or the inclusion of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Hop-Frog’ as a side story. But we highly recommend this one as – beneath it’s amusing, vulgar, psychedelic theatricality – it carries a deep truth.

In an epilogue, the Red Death is seen playing with his Tarot cards with the girl who had escaped the massacre of the remaining villagers. Other similarly cloaked figures then gather around him, each wearing a different colour: the White Death, the Yellow Death, the Golden Death, the Blue Death, the Violet Death and the Black Death.

“Sic transit gloria mundi”

(Latin for “Thus passes the glory of the world”)

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Communist Chinese censorship has far reaching tentacles…

…and pincers, and fangs. Actually, many political systems, governments and ideologies rely on fear and ignorance for fuel these days. In part 1 of this article: Coronavirus: Black Magic Goes Viral? we mused, in an admittedly “not-too-serious” manner, upon the Chinese sorcery aspect of Ku or Gu poisoning and how it relates to the Wuhan Coronavirus / COVID-19 as a pestilence born from humans  meddling with things they are unable to control. We would just like to reflect here upon the certain knowledge of communist China’s well known censorship and propaganda machines, its merciless suppression of anything outside communist party approval, and the control its almost limitless economical weight has over the entire world. Don’t believe everything just because you hear or see it on the nightly news, TV talk shows, or media. All of it is doubtlessly being promoted by big money; and these days the biggest money is in China. Look at history, consider what happened to Tibet, what’s been happening in Hong Kong and Taiwan and try – we implore you – to think for yourself. We know that is asking a lot in this day and age; but it is imperative.

“Look at history, consider what happened to Tibet, what’s been happening in Hong Kong and Taiwan and try – we implore you – to think for yourself.”

The “Masque” of The “Red” Death

There is much to unpack on this topic but we would point those with a serious interest to the following links; and to the censored text to an article by Chinese researchers pasted below.

Link:

Yes, the Virus Came From Wuhan

“And what puzzles us most, in this storm of information, impressions, opinions, expertise, real or alleged, is that no one is asking China, a country with an already horrible record on humans rights and disinformation, to explain plainly what happens in those research centers, one at less than 300 meters from the Wuhan market and the other at only 12 km.”

Link:

Experts think bats are the source of the Wuhan coronavirus. At least 4 pandemics have originated in these animals.

“”Poorly regulated live-animal markets mixed with illegal wildlife trade offer a unique opportunity for viruses to spill over from wildlife hosts into the human population,” the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement.”

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“…in mid-February two Chinese researchers, Dr. Botao Xiao from South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, and Dr. Lei Xiao, from Wuhan University of Science and Technology, recognized bats as the real source of the infection. Interestingly, the paper has since disappeared from the international scholarly data base Research Gate, not the first such incident for texts from China the CCP does not like,”

The Censored article that disappeared:

〈The possible origins of 2019-nCoV coronavirus〉 (Botao Xiao and Lei Xiao)

The 2019-nCoV coronavirus has caused an epidemic of 28,060 laboratory-confirmed infections in human including 564 deaths in China by February 6, 2020. Two descriptions of the virus published on Nature this week indicated that the genome sequences from patients were 96％ or 89％ identical to the Bat CoV ZC45 coronavirus originally found in Rhinolophus affinis. It was critical to study where the pathogen came from and how it passed onto human.

An article published on The Lancet reported that 41 people in Wuhan were found to have the acute respiratory syndrome and 27 of them had contact with Huanan Seafood Market. The 2019-nCoV was found in 33 out of 585 samples collected in the market after the outbreak. The market was suspicious to be the origin of the epidemic, and was shut down according to the rule of quarantine the source during an epidemic.

The bats carrying CoV ZC45 were originally found in Yunnan or Zhejiang province, both of which were more than 900 kilometers away from the seafood market. Bats were normally found to live in caves and trees. But the seafood market is in a densely-populated district of Wuhan, a metropolitan of ~15 million people. The probability was very low for the bats to fly to the market. According to municipal reports and the testimonies of 31 residents and 28 visitors, the bat was never a food source in the city, and no bat was traded in the market. There was possible natural recombination or intermediate host of the coronavirus, yet little proof has been reported.

Was there any other possible pathway？　We screened the area around the seafood market and identified two laboratories conducting research on bat coronavirus. Within ~280 meters from the market, there was the Wuhan Center for Disease Control Prevention (WHCDC). WHCDC hosted animals in laboratories for research purpose, one of which was specialized in pathogens collection and identification. In one of their studies, 155 bats including Rhinolophus affinis were captured in Hubei province, and other 450 bats were captured in Zhejiang province. The expert in collection was noted in the Author Contributions. Moreover, he was broadcasted for collecting viruses on nation-wide newspapers and websites in 2017 and 2019. He described that he was once by attacked by bats and the blood of a bat shot on his skin. He knew the extreme danger of the infection so he quarantined himself for 14 days. In another accident, he quarantined himself again because bats peed on him. He was once thrilled for capturing a bat carrying a live tick.

Surgery was performed on the caged animals and the tissue samples were collected for DNA and RNA extraction and sequencing. The tissue samples and contaminated trashes were source of pathogens. They were only ~280 meters from the seafood market. The WHCDC was also adjacent to the Union Hospital where the first group of doctors were infected during this epidemic. It is plausible that the virus leaked around and some of them contaminated the initial patients in this epidemic, though solid proofs are needed in future study.

The second laboratory was ~12 kilometers from the seafood market and belonged to Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. This laboratory reported that the Chinese horseshoe bats were natural reservoirs for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) which caused the 2002-3 pandemic. The principle investigator participated in a project which generated a chimeric virus using the SARS-CoV reverse genetics system, and reported the potential for human emergence. A direct speculation was that SARS-CoV or its derivative might leak from the laboratory.

In summary, somebody was entangled with the evolution of 2019-nCoV coronavirus. In addition to origins of natural recombination and intermediate host, the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan. Safety level may need to be reinforced in high risk biohazardous laboratories. Regulations may be taken to relocate these laboratories far away from city center and other densely populated places.

Note: We do not consider the Chinese people at fault for the viral contagion. It is the lack of transparency, censorship and disinformation of the repressive communist government that needs to be addressed.

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Coronavirus: Black Magic Goes Viral?

By H.B.Gardner

In this article on a serious topic, we go a-musing on the themes of occult poisons, satanic plague, and an occult horror theory of the Nova Coronavirus (COVID-19) as a form of Oriental black magic …and the ancient Chinese idea of “Let your food be your medicine.”

Ku or Gu character depicts 3 bugs on a dish

Simplified Ku or Gu character depicts one bug on a dish.

“Bugs on a plate”. That’s one interpretation of Gu or Ku, the ancient Chinese ideogram pictured here. The actual strokes of the first character above depicts three “insects” in a “pot” or “bowl”. The bottommost portion of the character is the same as for a bowl or dish such as one will find on a menu or in a cook book in Japan or China; but it may be more broadly interpreted as a vessel. The simplified modern form (on the right) depicts one bug in a pot or jar. “Bug” or “insect”  is a rather oversimplified term here as, in this case, the characters also encapsulate a wider range of creatures including snakes, spiders, worms,  scorpions, centipedes, frogs and other creepy-crawly “pests”.

The meaning of Gu or Ku has some various interpretations; but it mostly relates to a slow-working venomous poison of the black magical kind which we may loosely interpret as “Chinese sorcery” or “witchcraft”. This line of thinking may also lead us to extrapolate upon an esoteric interpretation of these Chinese characters as not so much as “bugs in a vessel”, but “worms in the belly / body”, suggesting a nefarious viral or parasitic invasion of the human body. To suggest our theoretical linking of such sinister connections between Chinese black magic and the COVID-19 or new coronavirus, permit us to endarken you on some  ideas in “traditional Asian medicine and sorcery” as we look for the Devil In the Details, and offer some interesting insight into some possible contributing factors to this confounding viral epidemic.

“This art of black magic …is usually focused on poisoning at a distance, creating disease, controlling a lover or for causing death.”

1932’s extremely racist The Mask of Fu Manchu (with Boris Karloff as the evil Chinese villain) has a scene with this type of Oriental Black Magic used for nefarious purposes. A “venomous serpent” is caused to bite a black slave whose blood is then drawn to be included in a magical serum to gain control over another character.

“Gu or Ku is an ancient form of oriental black magic in which toxins are concentrated in order to wield occult powers over others.”

Oracle Script for Gu “Poison” or “Bewitch”.

This Gu or Ku is an ancient form of oriental black magic in which toxins are concentrated in order to wield occult powers over others. This has been depicted onscreen in 1932’s The Mask of Fu Manchu, starring Boris Karloff as the nefarious villain planning to conquer the world.

The Chinese ideogram itself dates back to the 14th century BCE Shang Dynasty bone oracle inscriptions meaning “poison” or “bewitch”. The typical method of this Ku sorcery is the collecting of various venomous or poisonous creatures such as snakes, lizards, centipedes, scorpions, and worms which are enclosed within a vessel in order to fight it out. The survivor in this death match – having killed and devoured the others – is then considered to be extremely potent in its toxicity by having absorbed the poisons of the others. This creature, the Ku, may then serve as a prized familiar spirit and/or as the main ingredient of either a love potion or toxic poison, usually administered in food or drink to an unknowing victim.

“Its a serious problem. Wild animal farming to supply exotic substances for “health tonics” for China’s wealthy elite – a “small percent” of China’s population which is nearly equivalent to the entire population of Japan.”

Seal Script for Gu “Poison” or “Bewitch”.

This magical practice is reputedly often accomplished in the southern regions of China in the hot and humid season (5th day of the 5th lunar month),  which certainly provides an ideal condition for the growth of bacteria.

This art of vengeful black magic and it’s particular methods is usually focused on poisoning at a distance (in both space and time), creating disease, controlling a lover, or for causing death. Descriptions in antique Chinese texts report incidents of slow poisoning and death, sometimes weeks after imbibing the toxic dose. Medicinal antidotes are also often cited such as ginger and licorice root. (This makes visceral sense as, here in Japan, sashimi is served with pickled ginger as well as wasabi horseradish as condiments to aid the safe digestion of raw fish).

The occult works of Kenneth Grant offer some knowledge on The Cult of the Ku.

“Descriptions in antique Chinese texts report incidents of slow poisoning and death, sometimes weeks after imbibing the toxic dose.”

 

Chinese coin depicting the 5 poisons.

Coin depicting the 5 poisons from China

Above: Chinese coins depicting the 5 poisons.

1964’s The Masque of the Red Death

COVID-19

The “New Bug” Going Around

Now, another mysterious virus has seemingly arisen to spread rapidly over the globe. With the SARS, MERS and Ebola outbreaks still fresh in memory, the recent news of the Wuhan Nova Coronavirus COVID-19 spreading outwards from China – with over 6,000 reported cases and causing over a hundred to die (update from original time of writing: as of March 17th there are now 7426 deaths reported globally); and the recent estimates pointing to the virus reaching its peak at the end of this April or May (at the time of writing) – we thought it of interest to outline the occult links to this issue because, in our estimation, there are always esoteric links to every imaginable and unimaginable phenomenon.

Artist: William Blake. Women before a blazing cauldron with a child’s corpse. A magical attempt at resurrection?

There is no telling with 100% certainty where this coronavirus disease originated – whether from a fish and wild animal market in Wuhan, China as many have speculated, or from a nearby infectious disease lab where – much like the Ku spirit nurtured in a vessel containing centipedes and snakes – viruses are cultured and grown in Petrie dishes. We can say that – whether by accident or insidious design – this “New Bug“ has escaped its containment vessel and somehow managed to jump the species barrier.

Dogs and bunnies for sale at a Chinese food market. This is no pet shop. Feces, urine, blood, pus, parasites etc.. are showered down from cage to crowded cage upon suffering animals.

Note that the viruses mentioned here have all been animal linked diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)  SARS coronavirus (identified in 2003) is thought to be an animal virus from an as-yet-uncertain animal reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to other animals (civet cats) and first infected humans in the Guangdong province of southern China in 2002. 

MERS = Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome came from camels in contact with humans. These are animal viruses which have somehow been transferred to humans.

The Ebola crisis that happened in Africa is also linked to bats.

“In China it is often the case that animals sold for food consumption in certain open markets are often crammed tightly together in conditions that most would consider unthinkable.”

A Satanic plague is unleashed upon the world by a circle of wealthy elites in 1973’s The Satanic Rites of Dracula.

In China it is often the case that animals sold for food consumption in certain open markets are often crammed tightly together in conditions that most would consider unthinkable. Its a serious problem. Wild animal farming to supply exotic substances for “health tonics” for China’s wealthy elite – a “small percent” of China’s population which is nearly equivalent to the entire population of Japan. Consider the energy of whatever you imbibe or digest as literally in-forming the substance of your being. The food we consume has an effect on our entire system. This is both magical thinking and scientific fact.

How about some bat soup?

“Let Your Food Be Your Medicine”

But it isn’t only for rare black magical purposes for which certain exotic creatures are sought as ingredients in Asian culture. There are also medicines and cuisine to consider! It seems to us no mere coincidence that the new corona virus outbreak happened to coincide with celebrations for the 2020 Chinese Lunar New Year holiday of January 25th! A holiday which sees the massive movement of people traveling to visit family and loved ones for special family gatherings …and special meals.

“China has a very ancient and venerable history of traditional medicine.”

The first thing to be understood is that – like most Asian and Eastern cultures – China has a very ancient and venerable history of traditional medicine. In China, one significant idea regarding one’s health is expressed as “Let your food be your medicine”. This is good advice in general. But the lists of rare, exotic ingredients for certain traditional formulae has sometimes led to the hunting and near extinction of certain species of animals such as the black rhinoceros, musk deer, tigers, snow leopards and all manner of rare beasts and birds in order to obtain portions of these creatures and their organs which are reputed to cure particular ailments or illnesses, or to give certain desired health benefits.

“This, in conjunction with the lists of exotic ingredients for traditional medicinal formulae, has sometimes led to the hunting and near extinction of certain species of animals…”

Man looking at raccoon dogs (Yes, there are such things.) at a market in China.

Fire burn and Cauldron bubble: European Witches adding a cockerel and a snake into a blazing vessel. Sorcery performed for fortune, fame and power, for cursing or for love, appears to be systemic to the human race.

It comes as no surprise that the epicenter of the current corona virus outbreak has constellated around a fish and wild animal market in Wuhan, China – a region which also happens to host a nearby disease lab. This market had all manner of beasts in cramped and dirty cages all stacked together in highly unsanitary conditions where their immediate slaughter for food could also be carried out. Blood, urine, feces, pus and the standard sicknesses, viruses and parasites natural to wild animals all blending and stewing in a melange of filth. This is not so unlike a giant Ku poison pot, an unwholesome alembic or Petrie dish, if you will. Which brings us back around to the poison magic known as Ku. The witches cauldron containing “eye of newt and toe of frog” appears to be a universal phenomenon. Sorcery performed for fortune, fame and power, for cursing or for love, appears to be systemic to the            human race.

“Witchcraft performed for fortune, fame and power, for cursing or for love, appears to be systemic to the human race.”

Asian centipedes grow large and carry poison.

It is impossible to say how many people engage in the riskier food and health practices constellating about these potential centers of pestilence. But it is likely a smaller portion of the population which knowingly imbibes or absorbs these substances. A simple search online will turn your stomach to watch Asian men eating live baby mice or pretty young women tasting writhing centipedes, for instance. Far fewer are those who dare to dabble in poisons such as in Ku magic. But greedy and intemperate scientists and the administrative powers which support and finance them – not only in Asia but worldwide – know no bounds when it comes to dabbling in these unseen forces which are ever at the ready to exploit a weakness in the human immune system. While many folks are content to try an occasional exotic delicacy, the truly nefarious deeds are being done in labs and factory farms around the globe, with or without government approval. 

We must also admit the deplorable conditions of our own factory farming practices – and of puppy mills – in the good old USA and other Western nations. The wretched un-lives lived out by animals farmed and raised for meat, eggs, dairy and pets are also swarming with filth, disease and suffering beyond the limits of any diabolical horror movie. Until people wake up to these heinous practices, the suffering will continue and the chances for potential outbreaks of disease loom imminently over the land.

Vincent Price meets The Masque of The Red Death (1964)

The Affair of the Poisons

Catherine Deshayes, aka “La Voisin” was burned at the stake for being involved in poisoning and satanizing.

Sometimes an outbreak of magical poisoning may be the result of a more amorous type. There is always the possibility of passionate intrigue, occultism and love spells gone awry. Attempts at poisoning, or concocting aphrodisiacs or “Spanish Fly”, such as the Affair of the Poisons (1677 – 1682) is one famous example that scandalized the court of King Louis the XIV. The Sun King’s own mistress, Madame de Montespan, bought aphrodisiacs to remain in the king’s favor and performed Black Masses with Catherine Deshayes, a known fortune teller, poisoner and abortionist, known as “La Voisin”, who was later burned at the stake in 1680. Eventually the scandal and criminal cases surrounding The Affair of the Poisons led to the execution of 36 people while many others received life sentences or were sent to the galleys.

Habushu is a liquor from Okinawa in which a venomous pit viper has been steeped.

Germ Warfare, Infectious Disease & Pandemic

Great book on the Plague. Recommended reading!

Germ warfare is nothing new. It’s been going on for centuries. Throughout history, invaders have catapulted the bodies of plague victims over city walls. Wells have been poisoned with animal carcasses. The Black Death, which spread the Plague from Asia and wiped out 30% to 60% of Europe’s population in less than a decade, is a devastating example of the effects of a pandemic. We must ask ourselves if the world is due for another one – whether by nature or by design. Or perhaps certain systems of control and authority wish to reduce the surplus population by eradicating the weaker members of society, such as those with compromised immune systems. It is certainly something that has happened before. The medieval witch hysteria in Europe was sparked by the Plague and sections of society were quickly accused and executed.

 

A satanic new plague is to released on the world at Dracula’s command! The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

In Asia, where the serpent – often epitomized as the Dragon – is revered, even worshipped, as well as consumed as a sacramental or potency enhancing meal or beverage, there is definitely a different psychology at work than in the Christianized West. Christianity has long demonized the serpent as an emblem of evil. But the consumption of the flesh and blood of a deity is not unknown in the West as anybody who has attended Holy Mass or communion in a church should be aware.

Black Magic 1975, Horror film from Hong Kong exhibits Chinese sorcery known as Ku.

Evil certainly exists but the concept of “sin” remains a foreign idea in East Asia; there is more a line of thought of  shamefully “missing the mark” or “failing to achieve” rather than the imposed guilt of “sin”. Christianity is a tree that has never taken firm root in Japanese or Chinese soil. And wherever it has taken root, it is invariably only surface deep and rather frail and sickly. In a way the West has infected the East with its religion just as coronavirus is spreading outwards from Asia.

Whatever the origin of the current COVID-19 outbreak, it is certainly linked to human contact with animal virus. Whether this happened by accident or on purpose (for the record we suspect the inevitable corporate greed and stupidity of humankind over the admittedly more intriguing occult means) the scorpion has crawled / the bat has flown / and the serpent has slithered out of the pot! And it is probably already too late to clap the lid back on.

 

 

 

13 Diabolical Movies for Halloween

BY H.B.G. (Your Satanic Cinema Sommelier)

Some of us struggle with our demons, others just want to cuddle. The Church, 1989

As Halloween – the ancient pre-Christian Celtic Pagan festival of Samhain – draws near, when the air chills and the vibrant leafy green signs of summery life are dressed in faded flame to kindle it’s dry surrender to the coming season of death, our mind turns naturally inwards – towards the darkness within – as a reflection to the deepening night without. The Season of the Witch is upon us once again and ’tis time to reflect upon the ebon mirror-screen to read the signs traced there by the cool fingers of Our Lady of Darkness. Many of our own home video screens will inevitably flicker with the cold fire of choice occult horrors, old and new, from cinema’s dreadful dream machine.

Karloff leads a Luciferian cult in The Black Cat.

Connoisseurs of the genre are undoubtedly familiar with Cinema’s Unholy Trinity of Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen. Others may already know Vincent Price as Prince Prospero in 1964’s Masque of the Red Death. Below we will present a modest list of 13 sorcerous and satanic ‘sin’ematic tales spun by film makers. We will point out some popular examples as well as draw attention to some of those which may be overlooked. These and many other examples appear in our growing list of Devilish movies: Satanic Cinema Sommelier; Our Favorite Devilish Films.

Hazel Court as Vincent Price’s mistress in The Masque of the Red Death, 1964,  brands an inverted cross on her breast in an act of devotion to Satan. This is the first instance of an inverted cross as a symbol of devil worship on film.

These films offer us the full congregation of evil: The Witch, The Cult, and The Devil Himself.

Barbara Steele in Curse of the Crimson Cult, 1968

The Witch is a primal archetype of our collective unconscious; an image so ancient and long held that we still remain spellbound by her powers. The Hag, the child-snatcher, the cannibal crone in the gingerbread house, the satanic siren or seductive succubus licking her blood red lips… they all live inside us. She resides in that secret place from where dreams arise; that place most of us expend effort to avoid noticing. But she is always there, waiting, in our stories, fables, movies and fashion magazines.

The Cult is a nightmare that is often all too true in reality and even makes the occasional appearance on the evening news. Often formed by a group of devil worshipping acolytes in these movies, The Cult is most often hidden from view in plain sight. Their predatorial eyes stalking their victims with a cold obedience to a perverted sense of unholy and supreme evil.

The Exorcist, 1973

The Devil …well, what can one say about the Old Man? The Opposer, The Adversary, The Tempter, Shaitan, Satan… the very embodiment of all that is evil, of all malice, of all we fear… and, simultaneously, all that we desire: Power, Wealth, Talent, Fame, Sex.. all are on the Demon’s auction table… for a hefty price, of course.

Some of these movies are crude attempts, some are jumbled fever dreams, cult films, a few are special masterpieces that linger long after the lights are out and the covers are drawn up… when dreams of primitive horrors etched in our ancestral DNA lurch and suddenly shamble towards you out of the dreaming dark… with claws extended.

Evil Takes Many Forms in The Witch.

1. The Witch (2015)

Satanic Sommelier: Guiness, or an Irish red like Killians. The Witch is an atmospheric period piece set in 1630 New England. A  folktale saturated with fearful religious paranoia that inexorably tears apart a family of Puritan settlers trying to survive on the edge of a vast threatening forest after being banished from the safe confines of their colony. The fear of Satan’s power may be real or imagined, or seen as a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you are looking for jump scares or buckets of gore, then you’re probably going to be disappointed. This one is a slow burning thriller with committed performances and some unsettling imagery of classical witchcraft.

Christopher Lee is great as a Satanist in almost every film he ever made.

2. Horror Hotel, AKA City of the Dead  (1960)

Satanic Sommelier: Chardonnay, chilled. Features Christopher Lee (who certainly holds the record for Actor Who Has Portrayed a Satanist or Appeared in More Satanic/Occult Films More Than Any Human Ever) as a college professor with more than a dabbler’s interest in Witchcraft. An atmospheric thriller that takes a cue from 1960’s PSYCHO in regards to the premature fate of it’s first main protagonist. Good atmospheric early piece of witchy cinema.

You’ve never seen anything quite like Alucarda.

3. Alucarda   (1975)

Satanic Sommelier: A Spanish red. (Read the title backwards). This nunsploitation film has some great surrealistic set pieces, plenty of hysterical blasphemy, flagellation, sadistic monks, exorcism and…. bleeding nuns! But the tale itself, with its elements of lesbian vampirism, seems at least somewhat inspired by J. Sheridan LeFanu’s ‘Carmilla’ (1872). A young woman is brought to live at a convent where she encounters the mysterious Alucarda. The young women form a strange relationship and make a pact and become satanically possessed as part of Alucarda’s cursed history.

More Nasassja Kinski, please.

4. To the Devil a Daughter (1976)

Satanic Sommelier: Blue Nun. Three reasons to watch this film: 1. Christopher Lee (starting to see a pattern here?!) as a Satanic priest (he does it so well! Look for that smile during a nasty scene near the beginning of the film). 2. A 15-year-old full frontal nude Nastassja Kinski  (we also love her dressed as a nun), and 3. some rather atypical Satanic ritual  imagery. Great cult film if you can somehow manage to ignore Richard Widmark.

Jessica Harper in the original Suspiria. She also makes a cameo in the 2018 remix.

5. Suspiria (1977)

Satanic Sommelier: A fine Italian red wine.  Suspiria is a film that stands out in horror cinema and remains perhaps the most celebrated artistic horror film ever made. Director Dario Argento’s masterpiece. The Three Mothers motif is carried on in the sequels Inferno (1980) and The Mother of Tears (2007). The 2018 remake featuring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton is a thoughtful homage to some ideas inspired by the theme but is not nearly as fun as the original. We started #TheThreeMothers hashtags. Read our Occult-Horror geek articles on the original Suspiria here:

SUSPIRIA: In the Eye of the Peacock

SUSPIRIA: Dario, De Quincey and the Dark Goddess; Part 1

SUSPIRIA: Dario, De Quincey & the Dark Goddess; Part 2

SUSPIRIA: Dario, De Quincey & the Dark Goddess, Part 3

Sherri Moon Zombie breaks on through to the other side in The Lords of Salem.

6. The Lords of Salem (2012)

Satanic Sommelier:  Magic mushrooms with a gin & tonic, and a beer chaser. Rob Zombie’s hallucinogenic trip into the weird world of witchcraft is, like it’s creator,  certainly original. This film links back to ancient blasphemous heresy for starters before relocating us into modern Salem, Massachusetts where young DJ Heidi (played by Sherri Moon Zombie) is ensnared in the ancient sorcery of a family curse while trying to break free of a heroin addiction. Worth seeing for Meg Foster, Dee Wallace, Judy Geeson and Patricia Quinn (Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as witches, and some bizarre artistic moments.

THE SENTINEL 1977 with horror veteran John Carradine as a blind priest. Jeffrey Konvitz wrote the book.

7. The Sentinel (1977)

Satanic Sommelier: Whatever your poison may be, drink plenty of it! The gateway to Hell requires a vigilant ward. The requirements for the position are a particular sin. The Sentinel is kind of like a blend of ‘Hell House’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ with some Law & Order mixed in. If it feels tedious at times you can amuse yourself by spotting the many big names in it, enough to give even a jaded movie goer pause: Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Sylvia Miles, Jose Ferrer, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Chris Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, John Carradine, and Beverly D’Angelo in…. well, an unforgettable scene. Make-up effects by the legendary Dick Smith of The Exorcist fame. This gritty ’70’s devil movie has a politically incorrect climax to creep you out.

Mickey Rourke stumbles into a diabolical mystery in Angel Heart.

8. Angel Heart  (1987)

Satanic Sommelier: Jack Daniels or Jim Beam (any way you like) for you “Hairy Angel” types.  Or try Toots Sweet’s favorite Twin Sisters Cocktail: Ingredients: 1/2 oz. light rum 1/2 oz. spiced rum 1 dash lime juice 1 dash Coca-Cola Directions: Shake with ice and strain into shot glass. Atmospheric film with an excellent cast. The story pulls you in and won’t let go. Mickey Rourke in his prime as Harold Angel (“Hark! The herald angels sing…”) and Robert DeNiro as Louis Cyphere (wink). Based on the novel ‘Falling Angel’ by William Hjortsberg. The novel is centered in New York and never travels to New Orleans like in the film. The book  depicts a gritty Black Mass that takes place in an abandoned New York subway. Well, that scene didn’t make it into the film, but we get some good Voodoo ceremony here along with a (at the time it was released) controversial and passionate sex scene with the lovely young (and underrated) Lisa Bonet. Actress Charlotte Rampling appears as a mysterious old flame into more than just star-gazing. A horror mystery with a real twist at the end.

Masks, Death Masks, & Sadistic Face Lifts in The Sect / The Devil’s Daughter, 1991

9. The Sect,  aka The Devil’s Daughter   (1991)

Satanic Sommelier: Italian red wine or German Riesling. (Italian title: La Setta), is another Italian horror film co-written and produced by Dario Argento and directed by Michele Soavi. The film stars Kelly Curtis (sister of Jamie Lee Curtis: ‘Halloween’ 1978) who has a destiny with the devil’s crew.  Herbert Lom also stars. It’s a weird film with some echoes of Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen, but embellished with some truly bizarre twists, some surrealistic, dreamlike and nightmarish imagery, along with some gore. A creative departure from the standard.

10. The House of the Devil   (2009)

Satanic Sommelier: A good Californian red wine to go with your “mushroom” pizza. Inspired by the Satanic Panic of the 1980s; the story feeds on the deep psychological fears people had at that time which manifested in a widespread social panic. The film takes place and even appears like it was filmed in the ’80’s. A very good, slow burning thriller with a Grand Guignol finish. We highly recommend this one for the simple story and great acting by a small cast. Like Rosemary’s Baby, it shows how effective storytelling, great acting, and very good filmmaking can create so much suspense with minimum special effects.

11. Hereditary  (2018)

Satanic Sommelier: Whiskey with a cola chaser. The ripple effect of Hereditary is still being felt even as director Ari Aster’s latest release Midsommar is gaining much critical acclaim for these well formulated, suspenseful and artistic horrors. Demonolotry is not a typical thing to inherit from one’s family …unless you’re in a horror film. Forget the haters who criticize it, Hereditary is a very good film with superior performances and an unsettling punch-to-the-gut story that leaves much to ponder regarding the fine line between demonic horror and family drama.

The occult symbolism overflows in 1989’s The Church.

12. The Church (1989)

Satanic Sommelier: Italian red wine. (Italian title: La chiesa),  is an Italian horror film directed by Michele Soavi. It was produced by Dario Argento (along with a list of others). Asia Argento is a young girl in the film. Some nice set pieces, demons, Satanic rituals and plenty of gore. Visually captivating. There are some definite nods to ‘Rosemary’s Baby,’ including an uncanny homage in a Devil Rape scene (compare the music for these scenes in the two films), and an old couple that seem patterned on Minnie and Roman Castevet that tour The Cathedral. You should definitely go to The Church, it’s good for your soul.

13. Evilspeak (1981)

Satanic Sommelier: A very good beer. This one is unique as it is the first (and perhaps only) film to use the high-tech-demon-summoning-computer-motif  by the bullied young man out for revenge. Think Stephen King’s ‘Carrie,’ but with a male misfit instead of a young woman in the lead, who turns to the Devil for unholy revenge. Practically in a category by itself, innit?

Enjoyable but often overlooked for it’s eccentricities, Evilspeak is a rare 80’s gem that is delightfully nasty. The scenes of the cruelties by young men in a military academy who gang up on a weaker one (played by Clint Howard – brother of director Ron Howard) are especially unpleasant with gratuitous shame. This film carries some rather heavy Satanic  motifs with a vicious and gory climax to boot (effects are a little dated, but so what?), which caused it to be banned for a number of years in the UK. One of the few Satanic horror films which draws upon the less popular porcine symbolism of the Devil. The “evil” Egyptian god Set is associated with pig iconography (among other animal totems). Almost want to take a shower / bath after watching this one… almost.

Remember to find out about more devilish films from the Satanic Cinema Sommelier; Our Favorite Devilish Films.

May your Halloween be less than harrowing!

THE DEVIL, Key XV from the Tarot. From the Smith – Waite Tarot. Art by Pamela Coleman Smith.